John Alcock (11 April 1715, London – 1806) was an English organist and composer.
John Alcock grew up as a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral where he was a schoolfellow of William Boyce. He rose from being the organist of various parish churches to obtaining a Doctor of Music degree from Oxford in 1766—he also served as vicar choral and organist of Litchfield Cathedral. Evidently of a fiery temperament, Alcock came a cropper of some criticism from his choir that accused him of "splenetic tricks upon the organ to expose or confound the performers!" He began a massive project aimed at correcting errors in collections of cathedral music, which he later passed on to William Boyce, also a Doctor of Music, in this case, though, from Cambridge.
John Alcock
Biography
John Alcock (11 April 1715, London – 1806) was an English organist and composer.
John Alcock grew up as a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral where he was a schoolfellow of William Boyce. He rose from being the organist of various parish churches to obtaining a Doctor of Music degree from Oxford in 1766—he also served as vicar choral and organist of Litchfield Cathedral. Evidently of a fiery temperament, Alcock came a cropper of some criticism from his choir that accused him of "splenetic tricks upon the organ to expose or confound the performers!" He began a massive project aimed at correcting errors in collections of cathedral music, which he later passed on to William Boyce, also a Doctor of Music, in this case, though, from Cambridge.
(from David Schrader)